TIIE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND, JANUARY 14, 1912.
3
RACES
AD
SHOWS
RAPPED BY CURTIS
Exploitation Schemes Do Old
Manufacturers Little Good,
He Declares.
ODDS FAVOR NEW MAKERS
Western Rrpmentitlrt Says Con
tests or LltUo Value la Decid
ing Real Merita of Cora
petlng Machines.
BY PAl'I, J. rFCLT.
Rarn. shows, all kinds of endurance
ia4 reliability runs and other meth
d of exploitation. sr branded as
-worthless, and releirated to th dtsrard
aa thin that hav ssrred their need.
of a dream than a reality, TU11ln
contests served the public well. They
determined the reliability of machines,
tested every part and taught the auto
mobile engineers where alt the Little
weaknesses, that would have proved
fatal to hundreds of pioneer motorists
had they not been discovered, were.
But It is safe to say that every machine
turned out by reputable manufacturers
nowadays Is as devoid of b.f defects
as Eve was of rival for Adam's affec
tions'
Curtis further is firmly convinced of
the fact that automobile shows are of
minor benefit to the established man
ufacturer. He figures that the "old
hearts- are the "fall s;uys."
"Where do the old companies, with
tried and proven machines on the mar
ket, reap the (-olden harvest!" de
manded the Apperson representative.
"They are riving great odds to the
newcomers, and it generally figures out
that the late ones entering the automo
bile field get the real benefit.
"Of course, it would be ridiculous to
deny that shows of the variety con
ducted In New York City and Chicago
are not productive of general good.
Manufacturers would be cutting off
their nose to spite their face to pass up
these exhibits. But it Is at the count
less scores of smaller displays, where
the local dealers and manufacturers
alike are 'stung,' that the recogn'xed
automobile business men are giving a
great discount."
Pessimism does not enter Curtis'
chain of thought when he talks about
the condition of the automobile busi
ness In the West. Optimism throws a
warm glow of enthusiasm over his
comments. His territory Includes
everything west of the Kocky iloun- 1
HEW DEVICE ' GAINS
Mechanical Cranker's Popu
larity Booms.
MAKERS ADOPTING STARTER
Self-Starting Method Hm Phenome
nal Growth In Comparatively
Short Time It Has Been Used
bjr American Engineers. .
Now that a few pioneers have) suc
cessfully solved the self-starting prob'
lem. motorists generally are making a
rush after machines equipped with this
latest and most popular de-vlce. Pur
Inr the nut fw months It has been
almost startling to note the number of
manufacturers who have come out with
hearty Indorsement of the mechanical
cranker. It seems only a lew weexs
ago that but two or three firms were
advertising a self-starter as part of the
TESTERS PLAY BOLE OF HERO AT AMERICAN AUTOMOBILE FACTORY.
Hi T
l -- -- - - .'vt-'. v 7-3a.- n -sa -SlrfssMn.,, ,vis.1
MOTOR CARS DEI.G TESTED BEFORE FIXAL IXSPECTIO.
by H. C. Curtis, Western representa
tive of the Apperson Company.
Curtis, who makes his headquarters
In Los Angeles, has been in Portland
for the past few days, making his
quarterly visit to the Northwest, and
took occasion to air hia views about
the automobile Industry in a reminis
cent talk with several motorists.
-There Is no further need of auto
mobile races, shows or contests that
stive the victor the spoils." chirped the
rotund factory soothsayer. "All they
do Is give the new fellow a big chance
he haa nothing to lose and every
thing to gain. When It simpers right
down to cold facts, there Is little real
benefit to be derived from such things.
The public seldom gets the real truth
concerning them. Anyway, a break of
bad luok an unseen bump In the road,
ditches and tire and minor mechanical
mishaps that don't count often bring
a cheap car in ahead of a competing
machine that really outclasses the win
ner so far that It would be a disgrace
to the English language to attempt to
make a comparison.
Triek Rare.
"Pick up the paper any Sunday and
you'll find cars advertised solely on
their victories In contests. There's one
I recall distinctly The ear that was
made In a day.' That machine had the
lurk to come out with colors flying
in a big automobile race. It's victory
came with great oodles of luck, and
the little machine no better, nor per
haps no worse, than others in Its class
Jumped into popularity in an instant."
Here was Interposed the theory that
half the time It Is not the car but the
man behind the pilot wheel that
"brings home the bacon." Curtis was
quick to cite Instances where this has
been the rule, recalling In particular
the last Phoenix road race from Los
Angeles to the desert metropolis.
"There was one race that was won
by the driver, and not through the su
periority of the automobile." said Cur
tis "The winning man went over the
course minutely several days before the
race and discovered that by taking his
car cross lota a little way he could cut
off So miles. He further discovered
that by climbing a steep grade and
letting bis car go over boulders and
underbrush for a few rods he could
save 14 miles. The csrs that finished
first and second beat it neck and neck
until the leader was nearlng his secret
cut-off. He stopped his machine, got
his raechsnie to tinkering under it.
and to all appearances was in bard luck.
The second man passed him. beat it as
fast as he could for the next checking
station Tuma figuring that the race
was his
V Id ry Die) Little Gewd.
"After his rival waa well on his way.
the eventual winner hopped into his
car and started over his own route.
You can imagine the chagrin of the sec
ond man when he arrived In Yuma and
was greeted with the Information that
Ms rival, whom he had left stalled
on the road, had passed through the
town IS minutes before him.
"That little trick was the means of
winning the race. Yet who can aay
that the car was any better than a
score of others entered?
"And ss proof that the winning of
the race, even with all the Importance
attached to It. the company whose ma
chine won the race did not gst a sin
gle order out of the Phoenix territory,
while several salesrnen. representing
cars that failed to place or were not
entered, received faf contracts."
Manufacturers who have weathered
the storm of pioneering and have built
up reputations that have set their ma
chines upon a high plane, have no
further need to establish the worthi
ness of their products and should de
vote the energy and money they spend
In participating In exploitation schemes
to other methods of promoting sales,
according to Curtis.
Raetags Mlaalaa Perforated.
"Racing and endurance contests had
a great mission in the automobile In
dustry, but they have served their pur
pose and there is absolutely no use for
continuing them." he opined. "In the
early days, when motor cars were more i
tains, and be Is In close touch with
conditions In the district.
"California will play an Important
part in making the sales of 111 total
a number that will amaie all those
who do not follow the automobile busi
ness closely." declared the Los Angeles
booster. "There are very few dealers
in Los Angeles or San Francisco who
cannot dispose of all the cars they can
get. I find that this degree of pros
perity also obtains In the smaller
towns.
"Just how the Northwest shapea np
at this time. I cannot aay. But If I
have the success that our Paclfio
Coast representatives have had here
this season. I'll be satisfied. From the
reports I have received. I take It that
almost every dealer in this territory i
doing a large volume of business.
am certain, from present Indications,
that the Northwest dealers could han
dle more Appersons than It would be
possible for them to get- tacn terri
tory's allotment Is limited."
According to Curtis. &000 Apperson
will be produced for the 112 trade.
The producing capacity of the company
has been considerably enlarged, he
says, and that It will, be possible to
manufacture mis numoer. in- iisurea
prove rather much of a surprise, inas
much as less than 1500 Appersons were
turned out for the season recently
closed.
HIGHWAY IS GVEN BOOM
DISCOVERY OP COAL LEADS TO
VEW ACTIVITY.
Famous Roads May Be Extended
Toward Dawson as Result of Vn
covering of Fuel Deposits.
Though the eyes of Pacific Coast
good-roads enthusiasts sre turned Just
now on the progress or Chester uw.
rence end Tolesphore Beaudet. the dar
ing motorists who are trying to blaxe
a way from San Diego to .Mexico city
In an effort to win the gold medal ot
tered by the Pacific Highway Associa
tion for the first car making that run,
quite as Important things are being
done for the highway cause In the
northern extremity of the Pacific Coast.
Away up in Haselton. B. C 40 miles
from the Alaskan boundary, wnere r.
E. Sands went some months ago to win
just such a gold medal as the southern
ers are after, every man and woman
has temporarily become a roads fanatic.
Good roads for tbelr own valuable
sake are not the object of the worthy
Haseltonlana. One could hardly expect
that from so young a city. Coal, miles
snd miles of It. only a few leagues
over the northern mountains. Is the
prise that la spurring them on to high
way construction.
A few months sgo Immense beds of
coal were located at Ground Uog. 240
miles north of Haselton. Large Eng
lish and American companies imme
diately started their development; and
it became evident that a wagon-road
was necessary to transport supplies to
the holdings. The companies hinted
that if such a roaJ were not forthcom
ing their trade might be diverted to
another town. This spurred the Hasel
ton folk to renewed activity. Delega
tions are now busy with both provincial
and Dominion government officiate, and
it seems probable that In a few months
work will be commenced, not only on
the wagon road, but on a good trail
leading north from Ground Hog to
Cabin Nine, well on the telegraph route
to Dawson.
Thla means that another great step
is about to be taken in the develop
ment of Pacific Highway, which now
has a gold medal up for the first car
arriving under its own power at Daw
son from Vancouver. B. C Officers of
the association feel greatly encour
ageX with such vigorous activity at
both northern and southern ends of
the great project.
faotory equipment of their product.
Now one cannot fall to notice the great
number of motor car builders who are
featuring the addition of this device.
In discussing the phenomenal ad
vance that has been made by the self
starter in the past three months, F. W.
Vogler, Northwest distributer for sev
eral popular makes, pointed out 'that
ever since the automobile came Into
general use owners and drivers have
been slaves to ths starting crank. Mr.
Vogler- la one of the Portland dealers
who Is enthusiastic over the possibili
ties of this device, and since the Reo
and Apperson J911 models have been
received by him he has beoome more
firm In his approval of the system.
Both machines mentioned are equipped
with the self-starter. .
Maay Isaprevemeata Made.
Although he has not been Identified
with the automobile business since its
"Infancy," the Portland wholesale agent
haa seen many startling Innovations
wrought in the manufacture of motor
cars in his comparatively short experi
ence. He waa selling power vehicles
when a four-cylinder machine was con
sidered the height of luxury; when
wind shields, speedometers, tops, de
mountable rims and a acore of other
accessories were unheard of. In his
opinion, the perfection of the self-self-starter
and the allent type of mo
tor are the most wonderful Improve
ments that have been made In motor
car construction In late years. He is
firm In the belief that the self-starter
Is destined to be attached to every
automobile of the future and that It
will be the means of creating a wider
demand for the modern method of
transportation. In speaking of the Si
lent Knight motor, Mr. Vogler ex
pressed the opinion that this improve
ment, which haa a deoided tendency to
reduce to a minimum the up-keep cost,
eventually will be a benefit to motor
ists generally. He says that Knight's
success has caused the American man
ufacturers to devote considerable time
and money to the perfection of this
Ideal in their own motors and that
therefore the automobile owners in
general will be benefited.
'It has been felt for a long while
that If the tedious and sometimes dan
gerous preliminary task of cranking
could be done away with, automobile
development would have made a long
step toward the Ideal," said Mr. Vogler.
"But though thousands of experiments
had been made, it waa not until re
cently that a device was brought out
that could be considered certain or
practical. Now that this has been ac
complished, it will be only a short time
before every prospective purchaser "of
an automobile will demand that the
machine he buys be equipped with a
self-starter.
Practical Stage Reached.
"The assertion of some dealers that
the self-starter has not reached the
practical stage Is not true. It is claimed
by some that the employment of the
new device has a bad effect on the ma
chine, in that It is possible to do great
damage to the engine with It, This la
not true. Do you suppose that such
reputable automobile engineers as those
who have Indorsed the self-starter
would put their stamp of approval on
It if It was not practical? No. There
Is truth in the declaration that there
Is room for improvement In the self
starter, but that Is all. There Is room
for Improvement in everything, and
this is nowhere more apparent than in
the automobile industry. A close
analysis of the various 1913 models will
show that vast Improvement has been
made In the general construction of
motor cars. This improvement has not
been confined to any particular part.
either.
"Besides eliminating the disagreeable
task of cranking In the mud and slush,
hlch is oftrn necessary, the adoption
of the self-starter naturally will pro
mote a more liberal use of the automo
bile. Heretofore the necessity of using
so much energy in starting an automo
bile has been a great obstacle In its
wider use by women. Now all that la
necessary to start the car Is to push a
little button and the motor is working,
And with its proven efficiency, the
self-starter doubtless will be a great
factor in hastening the general adop
tion of the motor car by women and
will serve to promote more sales every
where."
HARD TEST GIVEN MRS
EVERY EFFORT MADE TO FTNU
WEAKNESS BY TESTERS.
Hardest Roads Are Picked by Men
Who Look After Safety of Fn.
tare Auto Owners.
Where automobiles are manufactured
the residents dally, except Sunday, see
scurrying around the city, rakish-look-
lng, half-finished motor cars that seem
to do nothing Jut try and break speed
laws and go over inconceivable places
and holes. "Crasy loons from automo
bile factories," "Fools," and other such
'pleasant" epithets are addressed to
these men.
In reality they are endangering their
lives to protect future automobile own
ers from mishaps that might occur If
they did not do Just such "foolish"
things as the public In these cities wit
ness dally. The police keep their eyes
on the boys and they often are ar
rested. They are not supposed to do
their hard stunts In crowded districts.
ut the desire to make their machine
almost impossible things anywhere
overcomes them and sometimes lands
them before a stern Justice, who sees
ths graetest chance In local publicity
in handing out sentences to offending
autolsts.
In Indianapolis the testers for the
various factories try to out-do each
other In stunts; they have the two and
one-half mile speedway on which to
test their cars, but as this is smooth
running, the boys use this speedway
only to test out their cars for mileage
and speed. It is on coal plies, over
abrupt elevations, through brooks, and
olay roads that the tester's road lies.
"Go through the worst places you
can find," Head Tester Lew Pettijohn,
of the Cole Motor Car Company, says
to his corps. "Bring that car back here
with bearings bursted, pistons cracked.
Break up the car It necessary, but
test it.-
And the testers are like little chil
dren with a new toy. They are going
to "bust" that machine if it is pos
sible. And they do break them quite
orten. But new parts are always ready
for them. The best way to judge a
tester's worth is in the damage he oes
to his car. The tester that goes out
and saves money for his firm is the
one that finds his name off the pay
roll In a short time.
The, Cole motor cars, like the major
ity of other automobiles manufactured.
are put through a gruelling test Re
cently at the factory the testers dis
covered a coal pile In the test yard.
The firemen were angry, but the boys
used It for a frolic It gives the cars
a good test. It strains the chassis
and If anything Is going to give way
It will in a test of this kind.
When a new sewer Is laid in a street
or the road taken up for any cause,
out hop the testers, riding under the
burning words that come from the
street Inspectors and contractors, but
they get the cars over the road.
When the motor is complete it gets
the dynamometer test. Then comes
the block test for 4S hours to work In
ths bearings, valves and pistons. Then
the roller test for the axle and trans
mission. Then the road test in the
bands of testers, the "heroes" .of the
automobile factory.
The testers In the Cole Motor Car
Company are personally responsible
for their oars. When they go on the
test and find tbe motor is not running
right, hear a noise or a pound, they
must locate it. They must put In nsw
parts if necessary When the car
leaves their hands for an inspection .
by the head tester, it must be right
I
OSUVKRV
RCCCIVEO AT
sum niitims av
12 PORTLAND HA MN ,
FLINT MICHIGAN JAN 4th 1912
159
Howard Auto Co.
Portland, Ore.
We hereby accept your telegraphic order of January third for a
solid trainload of 50 double-decked carloads of Buick
automobiles to be shipped as a special train January 25. This
shipment will contain 95 model 29 Buicks 70 model 28 Buicks 30
model 34 Buicks 10 model 35 Buicks and 25 model 43 Buicks.
All of these cars to be fully equipped with tops glass
fronts and presto-lite tanks. . Total number of cars 230
value of same three hundred and nine thousand one hundred
dollars. We will as usual draw on you for the above shipment
through your bank. This will be the largest single shipment
of automobiles ever made to one concern and we hope that you
will appreciate our efforts in giving you a shipment of this
size at a time,-when we are so crowded with orders.
. Buick Motor Co.
9 12
HOWARD AUTO COMPANY
MEL a JOHNSON, Manager
Seventh and Couch Streets Phones: Main 4555, A 2550
or the teeter will hear about it. He
is madtSo do his work personally, so
that he can't nnd any excuse ana oar.
Well. I knew It and told so-ana-so to
Is it." He must remedy it himself.
From the head tester it goes to ino
final test, when it again gets a hard
going over.
Th tet car is the chassis of an
automobile before it goes Into the paint
shop. Just a rougn. oia aoay. "-"
Tiimhu na.ts and a heavy piece
of Iron to correspond with the weight
of the body is placed on the chassis.
Tbe tester in rain, snow or snuio ieaj.
Into his "Maria" every morning when
the whistle blows and goes "Joy-rid-
hin salve the problem or ab
solute safety to the future automobile
owner.
FOREIGN IDEA ADOPTED
LONG-STROKE MOTOR GAIN'S FA
VOR WITH MAKERS.
makers is because of the high price of
gasoline abroad, making fuel economy
one of the strongest selling points of
a car. There are, however, many other
benefits to be derived from this design
of engine, of which the most important
are probably the slower crank shaft
speed resulting in longer life to the
engine bearings; a motor which Is
more easily cooled and which will
stand harder work without overheat
ing and greater leverage on the crank
shart on account of the longer con
necting rods required by the longer;
stroke.
Truck's Worth Recognised'.
Two more Federal trucks have been
purchased from the Stoddard-Dayton
Auto Company by the Portland Kall-s
way. Light 4c Power Company. This
makes the eleventh Federal truck that
the power company has purchased.
Design Has Tenaencr to neuuuo
Consumption of Gasoline) and
Lengthen Engine's Ilfe.
That the long-stroke motor has come
to stay is now an established fact and
another year will see all progressive
manufacturers using this type of en
gine exclusively. While the Ameri
can manufacturer has been consider
ably crltclsed for allowing his Euro
peon competitors to gain a two years'
lead on him before adopting this type
of motor, it must be remembered that
it is a comparatively simple matter for
the European manufacturer to make a
change of this nature for the reason
that he makes but a few hundred cars.
without any very expensive equlp-J
ment, while tbe American manufactur
er makes them by the thousands and
tens of thousands with a tremendous
Investment in Jigs and special ools
which become to a great extent worth
less when a radical change of this na
ture la adopted.
- The manufacturer of the Mitchell
car as well as a few other of the
larger manufacturers have already
adopted this design, due probably to
the fact that the personnel of design
ing departments is composed largely
of French engineers and 'who have.
therefore, been a little closer in touch
with the latest developments in gas
engineering abroad, as well as at home.
One reason, possibly, why the Eu
ropean manufacturers have given more
attention to this matter than the home
THE MIGHTY
MICHIGAN
FIVE MODELS TO CHOOSE FROM
40 Horsepower 31725 and $1750
35 Horsepower $ 1 35Q t o $ 1 5Q O
TAKE A SPIN IN A MICHIGAN
s- . .. -
MICHIGAN AUTO & BUGGY CO.
NORTHWEST BRANCH W. A. Wfldrick, Manager
Phones East 1421, B 1345 369-371 Hawthorne Ave.
LOOK UP ITS EECOED
UNITED AUTO COMPANY
534 Alder St. Phones Main 4337, A 7171
Maxwell Colombia Sampson Tracks
E-M-F 3i
FLANDERS 20
Greatest Automobile Value in the World
Backed by the Strongest Guarantee
ever placed upon a Motor Car.
iT Upheld by a Branch-house Service
System surpassing anything of like
nature ever attempted.
THE E-M-F NORTHWEST CO.
Phone
M 6969
A 2436
DIRECT BRANCH STUDEBAKER CORPORATION
L. H. ROSE, Manager
CHAPMAN AND ALDER
PENNSYLVANIA VACUUM CUP TIRES for
pery streets are
THE BEST NON-SKID tires IN THE WORLD.
They will not skid in any direction
and are guaranteed for 4000
' miles actual service.
A. J. WINTERS CO, Agents
67 6th Street, Bet. Oak and Pine
Auto Supplies Auto Tire and Tube Repairing
White Motor Car Co.
v Motor Trucks and
Touring Cars
ALL SIZES
Corner 19th and Washington Sts.
MOTORCYCLES
INDIAN AND EXCELSIOR
BALLOU & WRIGHT, 80-82 Seventh Street, Cor. Oak